Repo man badly injured in El Segundo after car owner drives away with him on hood

A man delinquent on his loan payments ran over a car repossessor in El Segundo on Tuesday and drove three blocks at high-speed with the victim clinging to his hood, police said.

Stephen Paul Jimenez, 33, allegedly jerked the steering wheel of his 1999 Mercedes-Benz to shake the victim off the car, causing him to tumble into the street, El Segundo police Lt. Raymond Garcia said.

The victim, who was not identified, did not know Jimenez was hiding inside the car shortly before 2 p.m. when he tried to repossess it a few blocks west of El Segundo Boulevard and Main Street. Jimenez popped up, exchanged words with the finance company employee, started the car and drove into the victim, who rolled up onto the hood, Garcia said.

"A witness observed Jimenez accelerate and speed away with the victim still holding onto the hood for over three city blocks," Garcia said.

Jimenez allegedly swerved near the Chevron refinery in an effort to throw the victim off the car, and drove off when the man fell.

The Mercedes was found a short time later abandoned in a parking lot at Marine Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.

Detectives staked out the car and arrested Jimenez later when he returned to pick it up.

Jimenez was booked at the El Segundo jail on suspicion of attempted murder. He was held on $500,000 bail.

The victim, whose injuries were described as significant, was taken to County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance.

Police asked anyone with information about what happened to contact Detective Eric Atkinson at 310-524-2216 or email eatkinson@elsegundo.org.